Bright Lights, Dean City
"Bright Lights, Dean City" is the 52nd episode of the American animated television series The Venture Bros. Plot Professor Impossible hires Dean Venture as a summer intern at Impossible Industries in New York City, while Impossible and Baron Underbheit, part of Phantom Limb Revenge Society, plan to enact revenge on everyone who wronged them in the past (the list includes Jonas Venture Jr., Dr Girlfriend, The Monarch, Girl Hitler, and even Henchman #21). When Dean discovers that Professor Impossible is working with them, he attacks Underbheit, which causes Phantom Limb to electrocute him into unconsciousness. When Dean wakes up, Professor Impossible tells him that the Revenge Society is a super-criminal "back to work" organization to help former supervillains reintegrate into society, which Dean believes. Professor Impossible reveals he has been keeping Cody, his ex brother-in-law, in captivity: powering the entire building in order to keep Impossible Industries green. Dean interviews potential members for the Revenge Society, including Ladyhawke Johnson, who can turn into a bird at night; Lyndon Bee Johnson, who can turn into a bee during the day; a silent man in a bear costume with a bloody knife (which frightens all the members, including Phantom Limb); and Fat Chance, an obese supervillain who can pull random things from anywhere in time and space from a void hole in his stomach. Meanwhile, Dr Venture's latest get-rich-quick scheme is a Broadway musical called "Rust!", which he plans to peddle to every agent and producer in town, in the process greatly irritating Dean. The Revenge Society learns about Rusty's musical, and Fat Chance, in a gag phone call as "Mr Big Time from Big Time Productions," invites him to the Impossible Building as a trap. When he gets there, the current three members, alongside Ladyhawke Johnson, Lyndon Bee Johnson, and Fat Chance, ambush him. Dean tries to get help, but he accidentally reactivates Cody. Unaware that the only way to extinguish Cody is to put him to sleep, Dean releases him, thinking that he's just on fire. Phantom Limb tries to zap Rusty, but Fat Chance trips over his invisible leg & sucks him into an alternate universe. The fire caused by Cody spreads throughout the Impossible Building, destroying Rusty's musical. In the post-credits scene, The cliffhanger from the previous is resolved when it turns out the Dr Venture coming through the portal is an alternate universe counterpart who was returning Rusty to the proper dimension. The alternate universe Dr Venture says Rusty tried to killed him and take his place because he has more hair, more money, and a hit Broadway musical. Cultural References * Ladyhawke Johnson and Lyndon Bee are references to former first lady Lady Bird Johnson and former President Lyndon B. Johnson. Her name and ability to transform into a hawk while her husband is human is a parody of the fantasy film Ladyhawke *Fat Chance is parody of both The Blob and The Spot and his powers are also similar to those of Flash supporting cast member Chunk. * Brown Widow (a parody of Spider-Man) tells Dr. Venture that he was in the play The Sound of Music when he was younger. In the 1978 Amazing Spider-Man TV series, Spider-Man was played by Nicholas Hammond, who played Friedrich Von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music. *One of the supervillains (in this case more of a deranged psychopath)that the Revenge Society interviews wields a knife is a reference to The Shining.Pierce, Leonard. Bright Lights, Dean City. The AV Club. October 10, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010. * When Dr. Venture first enters Dean's apartment, he asks if he (Dean) is waiting for "Jacob Riis to take his picture." Jacob Riis was a famed journalist that focused on crime ridden slums in New York City. Connections to Previous Episodes * This episode takes place at the same time as "Everybody Comes to Hank's." * Professor Impossible reveals he has been using Cody, his ex brother-in-law, as a power source for the entirety of 1 Impossible Plaza. Cody had earlier appeared as Impossible's de facto prisoner in the Season 1 episode Ice Station--Impossible! * Bizzy Bee is seen in an outside advertisement while Dr. Venture rides Underbheit's taxi. * The Revenge Society now has at least six real members, instead of in The Revenge Society, in which it had one real member & three imaginary ones. Production Notes * Bill Hader plays Professor Impossible, who was originally portrayed by Stephen Colbert, who had to leave to work on The Colbert Report. * Jackson Publick wrote this Episode at the same time as Doc Hammer wrote Everybody Comes to Hank's. Doc Hammer finished Everybody Comes to Hank's first, so it was aired first. Reception Leonard Pierce of The AV Club gave Bright Lights, Dean City a B. Footnotes Category:The Venture Bros. episodes Category:2010 television episodes